What is the value of a friend? C.H. Spurgeon stated,
“Friendship is one of the sweetest joys of life. Many might have failed beneath
the bitterness of their trial had they not found a friend.” A friend carries the
load when you are unable to take one step.
Luke writes of a man who might have missed his healing
without the determination of his friends to literally carry him. Four men bring
their paralytic friend to a house where Jesus is, but can’t get through that
mass of people. Determined, they climb to the roof of the house by an outside
stairway. After removing roof tiles and prying up the mud and wattle, they lower
the paralytic’s pallet through the opening. Jesus looks up, and observes the
pallet being lowered. What does he see? He sees the faces of four men filled
with stark hungering need for their friend’s healing. But He also sees great
faith revealed in their faces. Jesus looks at the paralytic and announces,
“Friend, your sins are forgiven.” To show the Pharisees that He has the power to
forgive sin, Jesus tells the man on the mat, “Rise up, and pick up your mat. Go
home” (Luke 5:16-24)!
In Proverbs Solomon lists three strong values found in a
good friend. He loves at all times (Proverbs 17:17); he is closer than a brother
(Proverbs 18:24); he never forsakes his friend (27:10). The example of the
paralytic in Luke supports Solomon’s observations. He received constant love
from his friends. He was closer than a brother, and his friends did not forsake
him. They believed in his healing and did what they could to help him. Maybe the
paralytic was embarrassed to be the center of attention. Perhaps he asked them
not to cut a hole in the roof. Or maybe because he was unable to do anything for
himself he was relying upon his friends. What can we deduce about friendship
from this example of the four friends’ commitment? No matter what your friend’s
belief or lack of belief, you believe in the very best for him. True friendship
does whatever is necessary to bring about the promise but does not sacrifice the
heart of his friend.
I once discovered a simple statement that shows the value
of a friend. “A friend is someone who knows the song in your heart, and can sing
it back to you when you have forgotten the words.”
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